Bradford “Tully” Tolliver has everything—money, a great car, a beautiful condo, and a promising career as one of Portland’s hottest young lawyers. Sure, he puts in long hours and has no social life to speak of, but who needs romance when corporations pay top dollar for his expertise? He hesitates when a colleague asks if her cousin can live with him, but the arrangement will last less than a year, and then the cousin—Sage Filling—will return to his tiny hometown.

But Sage is handsome and intriguing, and his cooking makes Tully swoon. Sage has obligations back home, though, and Tully has offers he might not refuse from a persistent—and very wealthy—ex. Since Tully and Sage each have a full plate, can they make room for a side of love?

A Full Plate is like one of those small plates with a solid protein, a tasty sauce and a dash of spice, resulting in one completely wonderful little taste experience.

The story is told from the POV of lawyer Bradford (Tully) as he lets his friend’s cousin Sage (yup …. Sage …. Sage Filling) live with him in Portland for about a year while he earns money before returning to his small hometown. While Tully is flush with success and money, his life revolves around work and little else. His condo has a fabulous kitchen … which Tully never uses.

Sage works as a line cook, slinging burgers and fries, while nurturing his inventive cooking skills and making homemade artisan cheese for Tully, along with incredible meals that slowly awaken Tully’s taste buds and senses to the life that he is not living to the fullest. I especially liked the contrast between the two men as Sage doesn’t aspire to beome a celebrity chef – he simply wants to create good food in his family’s little restaurant (The Filling Station) surrounded by those he loves.

This story slowly evolves and while there is not a lot of steam, there is plenty of sweetness and love. The HEA ending is all kinds of wonderful, and after finishing this book, I felt as if I’d just had the most marvelous unexpectedly meal. 4 very satisfying stars for A Full Plate.